This film was made during an era in which work by juvenile actors was treated with shameful condescension. Here, Haley Mills was given a special "Juvenile Oscar" for her performance as the title character. Watch this and see her hold her own against several outstanding adult actors. Better yet, watch this movie and "Butterfield 8" back-to-back as I did a few years ago and see which leading lady did the better work. Elizabeth Taylor won the Oscar that year for Best Actress, but it is clear now that Mills deserved that Oscar. Back then, the Academy could toss a sop to a child actor with impunity. It's too bad that Oscars can't be re-awarded after 50 years to adjust obvious cases of injustice. The test of time and popular appeal have proved that Mills was in fact the most outstanding actress of 1960. The highest praise one can give Taylor for "Butterfield 8" was that she obviously phoned in her performance because that's what the role demanded. Hogwash. Taylor's Oscar that year was a sympathy award for a glamorous queen of the box office who had had "health" problems. The little girl would just have wait.
Review of Pollyanna
